Breaking the Family Tradition
by piccplayr
Summary: Never before had a Weasley or a Malfoy been sorted into Ravenclaw, but when Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy come to Hogwarts that very thing happens. Will they ever be able to move past the stigma of their sorting and the prejudices of their families?
1. Sorting Jitters

**Disclamer:** I don't own the characters. They belong to J.K Rowling. Only the plot is mine.

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Chapter 1: Sorting Jitters

Rose Weasley should have been excited about going to Hogwarts for the first time, but she really wasn't. Even though her father had told her countless times that houses weren't as important as they used to be, she knew that it would break his heart if she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor. Every single one of the Weasleys and Potters who came before her had been sorted into Gryffindor; she had a lot to live up to.

She waved goodbye to her parents and her little brother, and pulled her head back into the compartment that was occupied by her favorite cousins.

There were too many Weasleys and Potters to fit into one compartment. The older cousins all had their own friends to sit with, so Rose, Roxanne, and Albus were left by themselves. The three cousins had been inseparable since they could walk.

James, Al's older brother, was helping the younger students put up their trunks when Rose noticed someone looking in the door.

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Rose was not the only one to be worrying about the sorting. Scorpius Malfoy, who was still trying to find a compartment as the train jolted into motion, also had a long family legacy to uphold. He knew that his father might not mind if he was not sorted into Slytherin, but his grandfather would have a fit.

Scorpius looked into the next compartment and hesitated as he saw a flash of auburn hair and blue eyes. He suddenly realized whose compartment it was and turned to walk away as the door slid open revealing a cute little blue-eyed girl poking her head out into the corridor.

"Do you want to sit with us?" she asked.

"O-Ok," replied Scorpius, not quite sure if he would be welcome.

He immediately regretted saying yes as three pairs of eyes looked in his direction.

"Why, if it isn't Malfoy," James Potter said as if saying the name left a foul taste in his mouth.

Scorpius, trying not to give any of the occupants of the compartment a reason to dislike him, replied politely, "Hello Potter, Potter, Weasley." His father had told him to expect this kind of greeting from the Potter and Weasley families. Draco Malfoy had made his peace with Harry Potter since the war, but not before their old school rivalry had been passed on to the elder Potter and Weasley cousins.

James flashed a look at Rose that seemed to say 'I hope you know what you're doing.' He put up the last trunk and left the compartment, purposely bumping into Scorpius on his way out.

Rose was not sure if inviting Scorpius to sit with her, and her cousins would turn out to be a good idea, but she felt like he deserved a chance.

She turned to Scorpius. "Sorry about James," she said, "he can be such a git sometimes. I'm Rose Weasley by the way, and these are my cousins Roxanne and Albus."

"I'm Scorpius Malfoy," said Scorpius as he sat down next to Albus.

A few minutes passed as the four first-years sat in awkward silence. The train rumbled along the tracks, and Rose watched out the window as the trees flew by just outside. "Scorpius seems really uncomfortable," she thought when she turned her attention back to the other occupants of the compartment, "maybe I should say something."

"So," both Rose and Scorpius had spoken at once, "Oh! Sorry," they said in unison. Al had a painful look on his face. He was shyer than the rest of the members of the Weasley and Potter families. Roxanne just snickered under her breath causing Rose to glare at Roxanne, and they descended once again into an uncomfortable silence.

"You're a Malfoy right?" Roxanne was the one to break the quiet. Rose's eyes darted to the ebony haired girl on her right, silently willing her not to say something stupid.

Scorpius nodded.

She continued, "So what's that like? I mean being the descendant of Death Eaters." Roxanne shot the last comment across the compartment like she was spitting daggers.

"Roxanne!" shouted Rose, her mind tricks had failed. Not that they would ever work, she could never hope to tame Roxanne's wild side. "You know they aren't like that anymore!"

Roxanne leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms, trying to look defeated. "Whatever. I was just having a little fun, right Malfoy?" She flashed a big grin in Scorpius' direction.

Scorpius shifted his weight in his chair, not wanting to answer or look hurt. This is the exact reason why he did not want to share a compartment with the Weasleys and Potter. He could tell that Roxanne really was just having fun, but it still hurt to be judged like that.

Roxanne managed to behave herself for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts, which was a miracle in itself. On top of that, Scorpius became more and more comfortable with the cousins thanks to Albus and his non-chelante attitude. After Roxanne's comment Albus had leaned over and told Scorpius not to worry. "We aren't all like that one." Albus understood that the Weasleys and Potters could be quite overwhelming, even in small chunks.

Rose couldn't help but be surprised at how easily Albus and Scorpius got along. Al was kind of a loner to begin with so it made sense that he would be able to make friends easily with an only child like Scorpius.

"I'm really nervous about being sorted," Rose confessed. She was sure that Albus and Roxanne would be put in Gryffindor even though Al had his doubts. The other three students tried to convince her that she shouldn't be nervous, she would be in Gryffindor for sure, but it only made it worse. Rose couldn't help but feel like she was different from the rest of her family. No one else seemed to notice, but Rose knew deep down that she would not be a Gryffindor

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Rose had to lean on Roxanne to keep herself from collapsing as the first-years made their way through the doors of the great hall. She felt her knees go weak when all of the Weasley and Potter cousins turned to watch the younger students go past. Al grabbed her arm to make sure she didn't fall. Scorpius looked just as pale as she felt, and Rose wondered why he had any reason to be nervous.

Her cousins let go of her as they all gathered in front of the sorting hat. She really wished they hadn't.

Professor Flitwick began reading from the list of names that was twice as long as he was tall. Amidst the shouts of "Hufflepuff!" and "Slytherin!" that came from the seam in the sorting hat as each student sat on the stool, Rose tried to think happy thoughts about getting into Gryffindor and not passing out.

Rose was startled out of her thought when Flitwick called, "Malfoy, Scorpius." She watched as Scorpius walked up to the small stool. His pace was forced, as if he dreaded this moment as much as Rose did. The hat was placed on his head, and he sat for several long moments before a cry of "Ravenclaw!" filled the giant room.

A look of horror crept onto Scorpius' face. Rose watched as he half limped to an empty seat at the Ravenclaw table. She could understand how he must have felt at several older Ravenclaws congratulated him.

She let out a small whimper as "Potter, Albus" was called, and she knew that she would not be much longer until her fate was decided. She felt the blood drain from her face once again, and a cry of "Gryffindor!" was met by loud cheers from the rest of her family.

Finally, it was Rose's turn. She dragged herself up the couple of stairs and sat on the stool, trying desperately to stay conscious. She felt the hat slip down over her ears, and the world went black.

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That night, owls were sent out to the families of the first years announcing the results of the sorting. Two of them revealed quite unexpected outcomes, and two cries of "Ravenclaw?!" were heard to echo across the English countryside.

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**Author's note:** This is my first ever attempt at writing fanfiction. Let me know what you think!

P.S thanks for letting me know! I had forgotten to tell you that albus was sorted into Gryffindor. I fixed it ^_^ Thank you for your reviews! Chapter 2 coming soon.


	2. Ravenclaw

**Disclamer:** The world of Harry Potter belongs to JKR.

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Chapter 2: Ravenclaw

"Rose? Rose?"

Rose heard her name being called over and over again from very far away. She couldn't figure out where it was coming from, or why they were calling out to her, but as she listened to the voice, it seemed to be getting closer and closer until she could hear it by her side.

"Rose, wake up."

Slowly her eyes opened to sterile white curtains hanging around her. "Where am I?" she inquired to the girl sitting in a chair beside her bed. As things came more into focus, she realized that the girl was her cousin, Roxanne.

"Hospital Wing; you passed out," Roxanne replied solemnly.

"What?" exclaimed Rose, sitting up in her bed. "I don't remember anything. I was sitting and then there was blackness."

"Well you looked really pale on the stool. Then they put the hat on your head, and you were gone, but not before the hat…" Roxanne trailed off and tried not to look at the concerned face of her best friend.

"Roxanne, tell me what happened," Rose pleaded to her cousin, sensing that something was not right.

Roxanne hesitated. She couldn't bring herself to tell her best friend and cousin that the thing she was most worried about had happened. She spoke as fast as possible so she wouldn't be able to stop herself. "You were sorted into Ravenclaw!"

"What?" shrieked Rose, hoping that she had not heard her cousin correctly. "Are you kidding me? This can't be happening! I'm supposed to be in Gryffindor! It must have been a mistake. Tell me it was a mistake Roxanne!" But Roxanne just looked at Rose with desperate sadness in her eyes. Rose hoped with all her might that it was all a joke, and that any minute now they would walk off together to Gryffindor tower to meet the rest of her family, but the look in Roxanne's eyes told her otherwise.

"It wasn't a mistake, Rose. I'm so sorry."

Rose was in shock. She gaped at the girl sitting beside her bed, mouth hanging open. A million thoughts were going through her mind. 'What is my dad going to say' was the thought that worried her the most.

The rest of the Weasleys and Potters chose that moment to storm into the Hospital Wing. Almost immediately Rose was surrounded by a crowd of red and black hair and freckles. She heard them speaking, but none of it made sense to her.

"Rose, are you okay?" Albus inquired of Rose, who was sitting in her bed pale faced and staring blankly ahead.

Rose whipped her head around to face her cousin, and the room went quiet. Everyone could see the look in her eyes that reminded them all eerily of their grandmother Molly. "How could I possibly be okay, Albus? Do I look okay to you?" At the sound of her voice the Potters and Weasleys seemed to draw back from her bed. There was a strain in her voice that made Albus very uneasy. He had no idea that the sorting could have this much of an effect on Rose. She had always been so sure of herself. She was his rock.

Madam Pomfrey suddenly appeared to usher her cousins out of the Hospital Wing. Albus and Roxanne were the last to leave. Al longed to tell Rose that everything was going to be alright, but he knew that he could never make a promise like that to Rose. This was not his battle. Roxanne gave Rose's hand one last squeeze before turning and walking out of the Hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey wordlessly handed Rose a piece of chocolate and returned to her office, leaving Rose to her thoughts. Rose's mouth formed a slight smile. She had a tendency to faint if she got to scared or worried, and her Uncle Harry would always give her a piece of chocolate. She never quite understood why he thought chocolate was a cure for fainting, but it had something to do with Teddy Lupin's father.

Thinking of Teddy's Father just brought Rose's thoughts back to how her own parents would react. Her mother would be very surprised, but it would not take her long to accept that her daughter was in Ravenclaw. Thinking the word sent a shiver down her spine. 'This will take some getting used to,' she thought. It was not her mother that Rose was worried about, she might even be proud of her daughter. Her father could be so single-minded. Of course her mother would be able to calm down her father, but not after an initial burst of disbelief and anger.

Rose tried to distract herself from her thoughts, but since she was alone in the empty hospital wing this was extremely difficult. No matter how hard she tried to think of other things, those nagging thoughts kept coming back.

Finally there came a reprieve when the door opened and in came an older boy wearing Ravenclaw robes. Rose noticed the glint of a prefects badge at his chest. 'He must be coming for me,' she thought. The boy walked with an air of confidence as he approached Rose in her bed.

"My name is Timothy Clearwater, Ravenclaw prefect. You're Rose Weasley? I'm here to escort you to Ravenclaw tower."

Rose began to feel faint, but she managed to control it with a few moments of concentration. Hearing Timothy say those words made it all the more real to Rose; she was in Ravenclaw. Nodding, she rose from the hospital bed, and followed Timothy out the door.

As they made their way through the castle Timothy began to tell her about Ravenclaw house, but Rose only half paid attention. She was dazzled by her surroundings. The high ceilings, paintings, and moving staircases were more than she could have ever imagined from her cousin's descriptions of the school.

Before she knew it, they had arrived at a spiral staircase. It seemed to spiral upwards endlessly, until they reached an old wooden door with a bronze eagle doorknocker. Rose knew immediately that this was the way to the Ravenclaw common room.

Timothy reached out a hand and knocked once on the door. The beak of the eagle opened, and a clear, melodical voice asked, "Is it possible to change the future through time travel?" Timothy turned to face Rose. "Care to give it a go?" he asked.

"Umm, sure," replied Rose. The subtle crack in her voice revealed that she was not so sure of herself. "I guess the answer would be no. Because if a person went back in time with the intent to change something, then their actions in the past would change the situation in the present that prompted them to time travel in the first place. I think." She looked cautiously at the eagle on the door.

"Correct," it replied, and the door swung open.

Timothy chuckled. "You really _are_ a Ravenclaw," he said to Rose before walking into the large, circular common room.

Rose could feel her freckled face grow warm as blood rushed to her cheeks. She quickly looked down at her feet to hide her red face, and followed Timothy into the room.

The common room was very airy and open. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the ceiling, which was painted to represent the starry night sky. There were arched windows draped with silks of blue and bronze that would give a wonderful view of the grounds when it was light out. Bookcases filled the spaces not occupied by windows on the walls, and a small cozy fireplace was nestled into one side of the room.

"The dormitories are this way," said Timothy, startling Rose. He gestured towards a bust of a woman in a small niche across the circular room. Beside the bust, was a door through which Rose followed the older boy.

The stairs beyond the door seemed to spiral along the outside of the tower, and at each landing they came to there were two sets of doors. Rose guessed that they were one each for boys and girls. Finally Timothy came to a halt on one of the landings, and gestured to the door on the right. "Here we are," he said cheerfully. "The first-year girl's dormitory. Your things should already be inside."

Rose nodded, and opened the door cautiously. She turned around, only to find that Timothy had already left. She entered the dark room, and closed the door behind her. Rose had to stand with her back to the door for a few minutes to allow her eyes to adjust to the dim light. As they did she began to make out her surroundings.

She was in a semi-circular room, which had five four-poster beds and five desks along the outside of the room. The curtains on three of the beds were drawn, and there was a sleeping figure in the fourth. Rose made her way to the foot of the remaining bed, and noticed that it was her own trunk that was sitting there.

Tired from her long and very stressful day, Rose climbed into the bed and drew the curtain around her. She laid her head on the pillow, closed her eyes, and tried to fall asleep.

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**Author's Note:** I hope you liked Chapter 2! Let me know what you think! ^_^


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